Written by: Anne Swenson, HR Coordinator, MidwestHR
Interviewing job candidates can be extremely difficult for many managers, especially if you don’t do them all the time. Have you ever ended up with an employee who is great on paper and in person, but doesn’t really fit your company culture? You are not alone! Consider asking slightly unusual, but effective interview questions to dig a little deeper and catch a glimpse of the person behind the suit or dress. Below are a few suggestions:
If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time?
The answer your candidate gives will tell you a great deal about the personality, dreams and aspirations of the individual and how the candidate will fit in to your work culture and other employees.
Who do you admire most and why?
This will tell you what the candidate values and strives to be –morals, character and the type of person the candidate strives to be will all come out with this question.
What can you tell me about our company?
If the candidate can tell you the mission or tag line of your company, know bios of the top individuals or know how long you have been in business (or anything else on your website, for that matter), this should mean a lot to you since they are prepared and have taken a keen interest in the company to do research on their own. If they can’t remember much or didn’t take three minutes to Google you, take heed.
What past experiences helped draw you to this job?
This one combines the skills-based questions along with personality questions and should give a great answer. The candidate should be able to provide a resume review along with some personal commentary – a lot more interesting for both interviewer and interviewee than running down a laundry list of skills.
Please contact us to see if MidwestHR, a Chicago PEO, is the right partner for your growing company.
MidwestHR supports growing companies by helping them simplify their business through HR Outsourcing. MidwestHR is a Certified Professional Employer Organization (CPEO) headquartered in the Chicago land area. As a CPEO, we provide business owners, CEO and CFO leaders with relief from dozens of time-consuming HR & employment related functions, while helping protect the business from ever-increasing HR demands and liabilities. In addition, our clients have the ability to offer “Fortune 500 type” benefits, while being able to better control their premiums in the process.
MidwestHR regularly works with all types of businesses, including medical practices, surgery centers, non-profits, professional service firms, technology companies, printing companies, religious organizations, start-ups, manufacturing businesses, trucking companies and financial institutions.